The Bio-economy Blog

A film about cities, energy and sustainability

2012-02-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

In the context of rapid urbanisation and climate change, an increasing number of cities are designed to be energy-conscious and future-proofed, creating 'optimal' environments for citizens. But how truly do they represent the future? Can cities set the agenda for society’s response to climate change?In this film - featuring me - the Economist Intelligence Unit investigates how Europe can create tomorrow’s sustainable cities. The broad issues discussed in this film are very relevant to the emerging bio-economy, and how it needs to 'fit' into dynamic energy systems.

Click here to see the film!

Moving towards a next-generation ethanol economy

2012-01-25T06:14:00.000-08:00

Bloomberg New Energy Finance launched its report “Moving towards a next-generation ethanol economy”. Commissioned by Novozymes, the report estimates the socio-economic prospects of deploying advanced biofuels in eight of the highest agricultural-producing regions in the world, i.e. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, EU-27, India, Mexico and the USA.

“An estimated 17.5 percent of the agricultural residue produced could be available today as feedstock for advanced biofuels. With this amount, enough advanced biofuels could be produced to replace over 50 percent of the forecasted 2030 gasoline demand,” said Steen Riisgaard, Novozymes’s CEO.

The report shows that the eight regions analyzed have the potential to diversify farmers’ income, generate revenues ranging from $1 trillion to $4.4 trillion between today and 2050 and create millions of jobs. Including 1.4 million jobs in the USA, according to the report.

A film on energy, innovation, education and sustainability

2011-12-01T23:56:00.000-08:00

The world's population has just tipped 7 million, having doubled in the last 40 years. But even if population growth begins to stabilise, there is still a big task ahead in making sure that we all can access the basics of life - including energy. In this short film, that features me, the Economist Intelligence Unit (with support from National Geographic, New Scientist, and StatOil) looks at why innovation and education for sustainable development are vital tools for the future. While the film is not about bio-energy directly, it deals with many broader issues that are very relevant to the emerging bio-economy.

Click here to see the film!

The bio-economy must build on sustainable and participative food chains

2011-11-23T01:36:00.001-08:00

The Conference "Sustainable food chains for a European Strategy and Action plan towards a sustainable knowledge-based bio-economy by 2020" was held in June 2011.

Urs Niggli, Steering Committee of TP Organics, stated: "Bio-economy at the moment appears as a "gold rush" for the unlimited use of natural resources – but a responsible bio-economy must initially address the sustainable use of resources. Farmers should not be commodity producers but producers of quality food and managers of the eco-system. We should move from technological innovation to clever innovation! We need integrated, comprehensive and sustainable approaches towards innovation; moreover we need partnerships to work out future systems of natural resource use that involve a broad range of civil society, including farmers, scientists, SMEs and consumers."

The conference concluded that four main future actions are needed to make the EU initiative for a "Knowledge Based Bio-Economy" a contribution to sustainable development in the EU:
- Focus on comprehensive and sustainable production, retailing and consumption systems and not on single technologies.
- Target the delivery of social benefits and public goods to meet pressing social and environmental challenges; the wider development and application of agro-ecological knowledge through innovation can significantly contribute to this objective. Therefore, the EU must invest in maintenance and further development of the organic farming concept and standard.
- All innovative potential of the whole agriculture and food sector must be captured to contribute to innovation. The potential of farmers and SMEs to contribute innovation and knowledge in the food and farming sector must be fully recognised.
- Creation of transparent relationships between producers and consumers.

International Scientists and Economists Statement on Biofuels and Land Use

2011-10-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

This is a critical issue to address ...

When land used for food or feed production is turned over to growing biofuel crops, agriculture has to expand elsewhere. This can result in new deforestation and destruction of other ecosystems, particularly in tropical regions in the developing world. The resulting heat-trapping emissions from clearing new land can be significant and may outweigh any emissions savings from the use of biofuels. Scientific studies have warned about the unintended climate consequences of the indirect land use changes associated with increased demand for biofuels and the need to address the issue by changing existing biofuel policies. Nearly 200 scientists and economists with expertise related to climate, energy, and land use have signed on to the International Scientists and Economists Statement on Biofuels and Land Use to urge the European Commission to recognize and account for indirect land use change impacts as a part of the lifecycle analyses of heat-trapping emissions from biofuels.

Sir Richard Branson calls for significant support for renewable energy!

2011-10-12T02:50:00.000-07:00

Sir Richard Branson, the founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group, has said that the world faces “the mother of all recessions” unless much more is done to encourage the development of renewable energy.

He said: “If we don’t have alternative fuels we are going to have the mother of all recessions. The way to kick-start the revolution is to have no tax on all clean energy while slowly increasing tax on dirty energy.”

“We have been diverting our profit from airlines into developing fuel for aircraft that won’t damage the environment.”

Sir Richard called on European aviation authorities and airports to do more to reduce the aviation industry’s energy emissions and said that the climate change battle is the “biggest entrepreneurial opportunity of our lifetime”.

He added: “Every single ecosystem is in decline. We must revalue how we value our natural assets and how we reduce our consumption patterns. But it is important for all of us to stay positive. Martin Luther King did not get his message across by saying “I have a nightmare”.”

Webinar - Innovation Policies Boosting Biobased Economies

2011-10-05T01:56:00.000-07:00

Industrial biotechnology and the biobased economy are essential to develop a society which is far less dependent on fossil fuels for energy and materials. However the shift to a biobased economy is not something an individual company can do alone. First of all innovation and the supporting innovation policies are key drivers to develop a competitive and sustainable biobased economy, and cooperation with other companies from other sectors (e.g. chemical industry, energy sector, food and agro industry) is essential. Besides policy, legislation and incentives, public funding also plays an important role to get the biobased economy out of the starting blocks. During this webinar an analysis will be made of the major initiatives, illustrated with some concrete examples.

When: Thursday, October 6, 2011
Time: 9:00 am Boston / 14:00 London 60 minutes including a live question / answer session
Cost: Free

Click here for more information!

Visions of a bio-economy from Finland

2011-09-28T02:42:00.000-07:00

"It is a warm and dry day in 2050. The windows of huge greenhouses glitter in the morning sun as coaches pass silently transporting people from home to work. A network of train tracks built above streets connects the town to nearby communities and bigger cities. The town center is busy with people, and a group of school kids has gathered around the statue in the central square. The statue used to be a fountain but it was renewed when water consumption was limited in the town. Although water resources are scarce, they are still sufficient for the town’s needs, thanks to the wellfunctioning biological treatment and recycling systems. The town is nearly self-sufficient in terms of nutrients, food and energy." Read on here!

Want to learn more about bioenergy?

2011-09-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

Why not join the bioenergy training course organised by TIREC? The course is running as an official part of the Turkish International Renewable Energy Congress (TIREC) on 19-22 September 2011. This quick, interactive introduction to bioenergy provides an excellent grounding for commercially-minded business people from all these sectors including both biomass supply (e.g. agriculture, waste, forestry) and energy distribution and end-use (e.g. utilities, fuel companies, distributors, large-scale consumers). Learn more.

Cumminicating the Bio-economy

2011-08-23T03:59:00.000-07:00

The up-coming conference called the "European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Bio-based Economy (EFIB)" will have an entire session devoted to "Communicating the Bio-economy". Looks interesting!

EFIB is established as one of the largest conferences in Europe for the bio-based market, bringing together business, policy and research and featuring top-level speakers, a comprehensive exhibition and an attendance of over 400 senior decision-makers. The conference brings together the entire value chain of the bio-based economy: from farmers and feedstock producers to producers of innovative bio-based products.

Why do we need biofuels?

2011-08-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

This seems a rather good question to ask for anyone working and/or supporting the expansion of biofuels for transport. Today, I ran a lecture/workshop on this very question with over 30 doctoral candidates from Lund University in Sweden. This educational activity is part of a one week doctoral course, which is entitled - The Biofuels of Today and Tomorrow - and it has been organised by LU Biofuels. Here is my presentation, which challenged the doctoral students to think broadly about biofuels for transport. I was challenged myself with a number of tough questions ...

EuroNews on Bio-energy

2011-08-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

A film on bio-energy in the EU by EuroNews.

What is the bio-economy?

2011-08-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

A film from the USA on the bio-economy. Check out the Bio-economy Institute - http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/ - for more info.

Alternative Fuels Summit in Australia

2011-08-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Check it out - http://www.alternativefuelssummit.com.au/

The website reads - Want to be at the forefront of alternative fuels down under? The Alternative Fuels Summit 2011 is where you will need to be - where the leaders in alternative fuels will meet to drive innovation and to do business. Bringing together the highest calibre executives from around the world to focus on investment in truly sustainable and renewable fuels. Where global alternative fuel leaders will share their views on the real issues that impact the industry - how to bring together the business case, how the alternative fuels world is evolving and overcoming challenges, how we can overcome those challenges sooner. From feedstocks to finance, technology, policy and sustainability, the Alternative Fuels Summit will give attendees access to the most senior level of decision makers in the one place at the one time. With unique opportunities for networking and relationship building ‘down under’, if you want to see real commitment to alternative fuels and the industry, you can’t miss being a part of it.

Agricultural Innovation in Europe

2011-07-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

The CRÊPE (Coperative Research on Environmental Problems in Europe) project ran from 2008 to 2010 bringing together civil society organisations and academics to investigate agri-environmental issues. The project concluded in December 2010. Read the final report on ‘Agricultural Innovation: Sustaining What Agriculture? For What European Bio-Economy?’ Interesting!

Sustainability Transitions

2011-06-14T22:20:00.001-07:00

I just attended a very interesting and thought-provoking event in Lund, Sweden - the International Conference on Sustainability Transitions - held 13-15 June 2011. It brought together over 250 peope from around the world working on transitions and sustainability. I presented in the session on governance and power with a talk on technology transfer and biofuels, specifically between Brazil and Africa. Click here for the presentation.

100% Renewable Energy by 2015

2011-06-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

At the recent World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change organised in Bonn, Germany from the 3-5 June 2011, a colleague and I presented a poster on the experiences of Frederikshavn Municipality in Denmark where the aim is to achieve 100% renewable energy in electricity, district heating and transport by 2015. The sources of renewable energy encompass biomass for heat and electricity and biofuels for transport. This is a truly impressive goal, but there are many challenges, particularly in relation to meeting all principles of sustainability and engaging the public in the transition.

World Renewable Energy Congress

2011-05-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I attended and presented at the World Renewable Energy Congress held in Linköping, Sweden. There were some 600 delegates from over 70 countries, and you could feel the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in the presentations and questions. But the story was the same - renewables are growing fast and there are lots of exciting developments, but we need renewables to grow much faster to meet the challenges of the 21st century - namely climate change, but just as important, poverty reduction and social development. I presented on the emerging bio-economy in Europe. Click here for the presentation. I also talked about the many opportunities and the immense challenges to ensure we have a sustainable bio-economy.

Supply Chain Coordination under Uncertainty

2011-04-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

In July 2011, I will have a chapter published in a book focused on supply chain coordination under uncertainty. The book deals with all types of supply chains from across the world. My contribution is a chapter on bioenergy systems and supply chains in Europe. For more about the book click here. For my chapter click here.

Governance Challenges?

2011-01-27T05:12:00.001-08:00

At the up-coming World Renewable Energy Congress in Linköping, Sweden in May 2011 I will present a paper on the governance challenges for the fast-emerging bio-economy in Europe. Here is the abstract ...

The purpose of this paper is to identify, analyse and discuss the key governance challenges for the emerging Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) in Europe focusing on bioenergy, particularly biofuels for transport and the biorefinery concept. This paper is based on a literature review, discussions with European researchers and practitioners, and questionnaires of bioenergy industry associations. The growing bio-economy and bioenergy in Europe face a host of socio-technical issues that comprise a mix of technological, economic, social, political, environmental, regulatory and cultural aspects. More specifically, this research work highlights three key governance challenges of increasing relevance for the bio-economy, including: the important role of public-private networks; city-regions as drivers for the KBBE, especially through climate governance; and consumer-citizens and NGOs as key players in the development of the bio-economy.

Click here for the paper.

BIO.NET

2011-01-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

The main objective of BIO-NET is to offer advice and support to organisations that are interested in EU-funded research projects in the Knowledge Based Bio-Economy thematic priority of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). BIO.NET aims to help improve the quality of research project proposals submitted in the KBBE theme of FP7 and to lower the barriers for newcomers, in particular young researchers and SMEs.

Visit here for more information.

The Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy

2010-11-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

I am currently in Melbourne, Australia attending the Knowledge Cities World Summit (KCWS). I am presenting on the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) in Europe. Here is my paper and presentation. Let's see what the KCWS thinks about the KBBE.

Bio-economy Strategy for Europe

2010-11-12T20:54:00.000-08:00

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, said at a recent conference on "The Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy Towards 2020" in Brussels on the 14th September 2010 ...

"The Bio-Economy will contribute to tomorrow's smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and its potential must be more fully exploited. But for that we need a long-term and coherent vision, involving different sciences and technologies, policy areas and industries. We also need the full engagement of citizens and their support in making Europe more innovative. Innovation depends on society and its confidence in new scientific developments. Today's conference aims to articulate a collective vision, one that is shared by all stakeholders, of the kind of Bio-Economy that we want in the future. The experiences, views and ideas that you will share with us today will form an indispensable input to our new strategy and action plan."

Read more here.

Communicating bioenergy: A growing challenge

2010-10-12T04:00:00.001-07:00

Here is an abstract to an article I wrote published online in BIOFPR or Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining.

"Bioenergy is rapidly growing in many parts of the world. But continued investments in bioenergy do not depend entirely on technological advances, feedstock availability, and economic conditions. The social acceptance of bioenergy by the general public appears to be essential to the political legitimacy of the bioenergy industry, and the willingness of policy‐makers to introduce or maintain supportive policy schemes for bioenergy. In the context of Europe, this perspective argues that communication strategies will become increasingly important for the bioenergy industry as it continues to expand. In short, this perspective discusses four main questions, including: What is the current social acceptance of bioenergy among citizens in Europe? What are the key lessons from experiences with communication on bioenergy? What are the emerging ‘hot’ topics for the bioenergy industry? What international efforts are underway to inform the general public about bioenergy? Overall, this perspective aims to provide insights into the linkages between the social acceptance and the political legitimacy of bioenergy, and the role of communication strategies."

Click here to read more.

Biofuels for Tranport

2010-09-23T02:43:00.001-07:00

I just recently attended a workshop in Stockholm on the topic "Governance of Innovation towards Sustainability: The Global Transport Sector". Whew! It was a very interesting workshop with vibrant discussions on the future of transport. There were participants from Japan, China and across Europe. I presented on biofuels for transport in Europe, and discussed visionary plans, policy frameworks, stakeholder networks, local actions and sustainability issues.

Here is my presentation and next year a book will be produced on the workshop findings.

Renewable Chemicals and Fuels

2010-09-06T03:04:00.001-07:00

Interested in the fast-developing world of renewable chemicals and fuels? Check out Green Indiciator for a monthly digest of the latest news on this area.

The carbon tax?

2010-06-03T00:51:00.000-07:00

Sweden is a world-leader in bioenergy - but why and how? In short, the carbon tax (carbon dioxide tax) in Sweden transformed the energy market, particularly for bioenergy. A carbon tax is a simple and efficient way to address global warming and reduce the use of fossil fuels. See the chart!

Bioenergy at Climate Negotiations

2010-05-27T05:28:00.001-07:00

The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) held in Denmark in December 2009 was a dramatic global event on climate change that culminated in the Copenhagen Accord. While there are differences of opinion on whether or not COP 15 and the Copenhagen Accord can be considered a “step in the right direction” or an outright failure, as well as who should do what and when, nothing has changed regarding climate science. A rapid transformation of our economies and societies towards low or zero carbon systems remains a fundamental requirement for reducing the effects of global warming over the next century. COP 15 attracted thousands of delegates from industry, government, academia, and civil society from around the world – many of which attended the climate negotiations to actively put forward visions and strategies for the future. In this context, we can ask what profile did bioenergy have at COP 15?

See a poster and read a paper on bioenergy at climate negotiations from the World Bioenergy Conference.

Oil vs Bioenergy

2010-05-25T05:54:00.001-07:00

At the World Bioenergy Conference in Sweden I learned today that in 2009 bioenergy accounted for 31.7% of final energy demand, while oil reached only 30.8%. That is quite an impressive result for Sweden and one that few other industralised countries can probably match. It's clear that Sweden is a world leader on bioenergy and breaking dependence on oil.

Welcome to World Bioenergy

2010-05-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

The biggest show around on bioenergy is on soon in Sweden! It's the World Bioenergy Conference that brings together thousands of delegates to discuss and chart the future of bioenergy.

Visit http://www.elmia.se/en/worldbioenergy/ for more information.

Bioenergy in Motion

2010-02-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

The idea behind Bioenergy in Motion is to increase the uptake of new and innovative biomass heating and cooling technologies and systems in Europe in general and some target countries - Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Estonia - through films on bioenergy.

Global Bioenergy Partnership

2010-02-02T04:57:00.000-08:00

The Global Bioenergy Partnership brings together public, private and civil society stakeholders in a joint commitment to promote bioenergy for sustainable development. The Partnership focuses its activities in three strategic areas: Sustainable Development - Climate Change - Food and Energy Security. It's worth a look.

World Bioenergy

2010-01-28T02:22:00.000-08:00

The bioethics of biofuels?

2010-01-27T05:25:00.000-08:00

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has launched a working party to investigate the ethical implications of new developments in biofuels production. Interesting and important work.

Global Sustainable Bioenergy Project

2010-01-21T03:25:00.000-08:00

A very interesting initiative! Read on.

Fuels and electricity from plant biomass, "bioenergy", can potentially address urgent sustainability, energy supply, and rural economic development challenges. Yet the world is currently confused and uncertain about whether to look to bioenergy to play a prominent role in the future, and if so, what policies are needed to ensure a sustainable result. This state of affairs is undesirable becuase it constrains efforts by industry, government, and others interested in developing more sustainable energy systems.

The Global Sustainable Bioenergy (GSB) project seeks to bring needed clarity and resolution to this situation within a three-stage framework:

Stage 1. Hold five continental conventions with outcomes as follows:
- gather input on structuring the analysis to be carried out in Stages 2 and 3;
- endorse a common resolution about the importance of bioenergy and the goals of the GSB project;
- approve resolutions representing perspectives on bioenergy from each of the world's continents;
- write a report encompassing a, b and c;
- recruit participants and support for stages 2 and 3.

Stage 2. Definitively test the working hypothesis that it is physically possible for bioenergy to sustainably meet a substantial fraction of future demand for energy services (greater than 25% of global mobility or equivalent) while feeding humanity and meeting other needs from managed lands, preserving wildlife habitat, and maintaining environmental quality. We intend to approach this unconstrained by current practices, since a sustainable and secure future cannot be obtained by continuing the practices that have led to the unsustainable and insecure present.

Stage 3. Analyze and recommend transition paths and policies in light of Stage 2 results, incorporating analysis of macroeconomic, environmental, ethical and equity issues as well as local-scale effects on rural economies.

The focus of the GSB project is different from that of the many other worthy initiatives in the bioenergy field. Rather than focusing on what is most probable, the GSB project is focused on what is most desirable. Rather than reflecting often sharply divided expert opinion, the GSB project seeks to build new understanding and consensus. Rather than having the present as a point of reference, the point of reference for the GSB project is a vision for the future. Stage 2 seeks to determine with unprecedented openness to change, breadth of international involvement, and technical detail whether it is possible to gracefully reconcile large scale bioenergy production with other priorities. Results from stage 2 will motivate, inform, and provide a distinctive context for a multidimensional analysis of transition paths and policies undertaken in Stage 3.

When completed, the GSB project will provide critical guidance toward the overall feasibility of a sustainable, bioenergy-intensive future and will define policy and land use trajectories that foster this outcome.

Visit http://engineering.dartmouth.edu/gsbproject/ to learn more.

Algae biofuels - what is the real potential?

2010-01-21T03:21:00.000-08:00

Algae are gaining increasing interest as feedstock for sustainable biofuels production. It offers many advantages as compared to alternative biomass - but what are the real promises and challenges for algae biofuels production at a commercial scale? Listen to a podcast on algae biofuels.

Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining (Biofpr)

2010-01-21T03:15:00.000-08:00

Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining (Biofpr) is a great source of information on sustainable products, fuels and energy. It blends together news, patent intelligence and features on its website, and a peer-reviewed journal.

Visit http://www.biofpr.com/ for more information.

Annual World Congress of Industrial Biotechnology

2010-01-20T01:50:00.000-08:00

There is a growing number of conferences around the world on the emerging bio-economy. It's interesting to see what's on the agenda of such conferences. Read on.

The 3rd Annual World Congress of Industrial Biotechnology is a dedicated event on Industrial Biotechnology, which will be held on July 25-27, 2010 in Dalian, China.

Over the past two years, the conference has been successfully held in Hangzhou, China and Seoul, South Korea respectively.

The program of the coming 3rd congress promises to be very interesting for both basic scientists and executives who are working in the field of biotechnology.

Track 1: The Future of Bio-energy: Challenges, Trend and Opportunities
Track 2: Breakthrough in Ligno-Cellulose Bioethanol and Other Biofuels
Track 3: Innovation Technologies for Biodiesel
Track 4: Potential Key Technologies for Carbon Source Biogases
Track 5: Biohydrogen R & D
Track 6: Feedstock for Bioethanol and Biodiesel
Track 7: Cost Effective Fermentation Process Development of Biofuels
Track 8: The Raw Materials, Upgrading and Distribution of Bioenergy
Track 9: Biorefinery: From Pilot Plant to Massive Production

Visit http://www.bit-ibio.com/ for more details.

What is the bio-economy?

2010-01-08T02:41:00.000-08:00

The emerging bio-economy represents a significant shift in socio-economic and technical systems that can result in a greater sustainable utilisation of natural resources and a major catalyst for environmental technology. The bio-economy is being made possible by the recent surge in scientific knowledge and technical competences that can be used to harness biological processes.

Bio-energy and the fast-developing bio-refinery concept – key components of the bio-economy – can respond directly to current problems (e.g. energy security, declining rural regions, environmental degradation) as well as meet the challenges of sustainable development over the long-term (e.g. climate mitigation and adaptation, improving quality of life).

The term bio-economy refers to an economy where the basic building blocks for materials, chemicals, and energy are derived from renewable biological resources, such as plant and animal sources. This type of economy can meet the requirements of sustainable development – ecologically speaking, and from a social and economic perspective.

What is bio-literacy?

2009-04-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

An understanding of the emerging bio-economy by the general public and key stakeholders appears to be essential to political support and long-term success. Furthermore, a lack of trust and awareness of the bio-economy is likely to result in resistance to new systems and supportive policies. Such understanding can be called BIO-LITERACY. Last, but certainly not least, greater stakeholder and public engagement can help to ensure the sustainability of the bio-economy - from environmental, economic and social perspectives.

BIO refers to a range of terms, including biomass, bio-energy, biofuels etc. Put simply, biomass is all plant and animal matter. Harvesting and utilising biomass to generate energy (heat, electricity or fuels for transport) is bio-energy. Fuels for transport, such as bioethanol and biodiesel, are often called biofuels. The emerging bio-economy encompasses all of these activities (and more).

LITERACY means the ability to read, write, speak, and understand words. In this context, it is used to refer to the ability to understand the “language” of the bio-economy – the benefits, drawbacks, technologies, resources etc. Of course, there are levels of literacy, ranging from no understanding to experts. In this case, the focus is on literacy among the general public and key stakeholders.